US Senators Strike Deal to End Government Shutdown

US senators have struck a deal to lift a three-day government shutdown and try to end a fight between Democrats and Republicans over immigration and border security.

Legislation to renew federal funding to the government cleared a procedural hurdle in the Senate and was expected soon to pass votes in the Senate and House of Representatives, allowing government to re-open through Feb 8.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said on Monday, that he had come to an arrangement with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to keep the government open for the next few weeks after the Republican promised to let a bill on immigration reach the Senate floor.

This shutdown, which began on the Friday’s first anniversary of Trump’s inauguration as president, had forced the US president to cancel a planned weekend trip to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida and created uncertainty around his scheduled trip this week to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Democrats want Congress to address the issue of the Dreamers, more than 700,000 immigrants brought to the United States illegally as children.

Trump and Republicans accused Democrats of putting the interests of illegal immigrants ahead of US military personnel and government workers.